Solar Panels on a Metal Roof, by Mount Type
How solar attaches depends on the metal roof underneath, and the mount decides whether the roof gets new holes. Every new penetration is a spot a cost guide would list as a likely leak. The solar installer sets the racking; the roofer's part is a sound roof and sealed attachments under it.
Seam Clamps on Standing Seam
On standing seam, clamps lock onto the raised seams with round-point set screws that press the seam into the clamp body, without drilling through the panel. The rails or module brackets then bolt to the clamps. Because the clamp has to fit the seam, ask the installer to confirm the clamp model matches your panel profile, snap-lock or mechanically seamed. If the roof is near the end of its life, replacing it first avoids a removal-and-reset bill a few years later.
Brackets on 5V and Exposed-Fastener Panels
5V crimp and other through-fastened panels have no tall seam to clamp, so the mounts are brackets screwed to the ribs or into the flat of the panel. Manufacturer brackets for these profiles use two to four fasteners each and come with factory-applied butyl seals that are flood-tested to ASTM E2140. Those screws are new penetrations in the roof. In Broward's hurricane zone, every penetration has to be flashed by a method in the roof system's product approval, and none may sit in a valley.
Mounts on Stone-Coated Steel
On stone-coated steel, the installer unfastens the front edge of the panel course above each mount, lifts it, fastens the mount to a rafter with sealant in the pilot holes, and lays the panels back down. Some mounts pass between panel courses without any holes through the steel. Walking on stone-coated panels takes care, so ask who will reshape or replace any panel that gets bent before the job is closed out.
Panel Removal and Reset During a Re-Roof
When a roof with solar needs replacing, the array has to come off and go back on. Cost guides put that at about $200 to $300 per panel, including disconnecting, removing, reinstalling and an inspection.
- 14 to 16 panels: about $2,800 to $4,800, around $3,800 on average.
- Removal: about 1 to 2 days.
- Reinstall: about 2 to 3 days after the new roof is on.
- Solar shingles: they are part of the roof covering and can't be removed and reset the same way.
Why Pompano Beach homeowners call Pompano Metal Roofing
- One independent roofer per request, never a call list
- Ask for tear-off, deck repair and permit as separate lines
- No fee to homeowners for the referral or the estimate
- Your details go to that one roofer and nobody else
Code Points for Solar on a Metal Roof in Broward
Florida's building code treats a rooftop solar array as part of the roof's wind and fire design:
Wind
Rooftop solar systems have to be designed for wind loads under ASCE 7.Fire
The array must carry the same fire classification as the roof assembly, tested under UL 1703 or UL 2703.Installation
Modules and racking go on per the manufacturer's instructions.Equipment
Broward's HVHZ rules want anything mounted on the roof tied back to the structure, never set on wood sleepers.Wiring
Conduit run across the roof stays 8 inches or more clear of the roof surface.
Ask the solar company and the roofer to agree on who seals each attachment, and keep the roof's product approval and warranty papers with the solar permit.
See standing seam metal roofs if you are choosing a new roof with solar in mind.